Time-based nano-transaction system for reducing unsolicited communications

ABSTRACT

A telecommunications system for selectively connecting originator nodes to recipient nodes includes an account database with one or more accounts each associated with corresponding ones of the originator nodes and the recipient nodes. There is a contacts database with recipient contact lists each associated with a specific one of the accounts of the recipient nodes. A transaction processor is receptive to an incoming telecommunications initiation request, which includes a recipient node identifier and a nano-transaction payment submission defined at least by a payment amount. The transaction processor responsively directs the establishment of the telecommunications link between the one of the originator nodes and the one of the recipient nodes upon receipt of the telecommunications initiation request. The nano-transaction payment submission is settled based at least in part upon an active duration of the telecommunications link.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The application is a continuation patent application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/820,313 filed Mar. 16, 2020 and entitled“Time-Based Nano-Transaction System for Reducing UnsolicitedCommunications” which relates to and claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/820,245 filed Mar. 18, 2019 and entitled“Time-Based Refundable Microtransactions as an Anti-Spam Method,” andU.S. Provisional Application No. 62/842,736 filed May 3, 2019 andentitled “Time-Based Refundable Nano-Transactions as an Anti-SpamMethod,” the entire disclosures of which are wholly incorporated byreference herein.

STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to telecommunications, and moreparticularly to time-based nano-transaction systems for reducingunsolicited communications.

2. Related Art

Telephone users, whether landline or mobile, are regularly flooded withunwanted calls initiated en masse with automated dialers. By some recentestimates, over 54 billion unsolicited telephone calls were received inthe United States in the course of a year. Pre-recorded messages ofcommercial or political nature are typically delivered once the call isconnected, and because of its automated nature, such calls are referredto as robocalls. There may be valuable emergency or public servicemessages that may be delivered via robocalls, and even legitimate,though unwelcome business/commercial solicitations may be made. However,an increasing number of robocalls are fraudulent or are outright scams,such as where the caller poses as a revenue agent and threatens criminalsanctions against the call recipient. Although caller identificationtechnology allows telephone users to identify the caller before the callis connected, it is possible to spoof the number, thereby tricking therecipient into answering the call. Oftentimes, the area code and prefixare set to those of the called number to make the call appear as thoughit is coming from a neighbor. The volume of unwanted calls has become sohigh that most users simply do not answer incoming calls from unknownnumbers and/or allow the call to go to voicemail.

There have been a number of legislative efforts to illegalize robocallsand other unsolicited calls. Earlier efforts include “do-not-call” listsin which the telephone user specifically opted out of receivingunsolicited calls. Telemarketers are required to honor those requestingnot to be called, though only legitimate organizations complied with thelaw. Again, with most of the robocalls being made today beingfraudulent, scam callers tend not to be dissuaded with the violation ofanother law.

More recently, technological solutions implemented at the mobile deviceend have sought to curtail unwanted calls. Applications installed onsmart phones can enforce whitelists and blacklists, allowing only callscoming in from telephone numbers that have been specifically designatedas safe in the whitelist, or disallowing all calls coming in fromtelephone numbers in the blacklist. The addition of entries into thewhitelists and blacklists may be extended beyond the immediate user ofthe telephone and may be crowdsourced. Other users receiving unsolicitedphone calls from a phone number can designate it as such in a centraldatabase, which may then be used by the mobile device of other users toblock the incoming call.

The technology to make automated telephone calls is relativelyinexpensive, and anti-spam or robocall circumvention techniques tend tobe one step ahead. There is a continued incentive to continue abusivetelephone calling practices, as there may be a few unsuspecting peoplethat may be unwittingly duped. Accordingly, unless the economicfundamentals are addressed, the volume of unwanted robocalls and otherunsolicited telecommunications is likely to increase.

Payment-based unsolicited communications reduction strategies have beenproposed, such as in the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)Internet-Draft working document entitled “The Session InitiationProtocol (SIP) and Spam” by J. Rosenberg and C. Jennings. Firstcontemplated in the e-mail context, a “payment at risk” strategyinvolves the receiving party taking two steps: first, ending the call,then second, deciding whether the sending party is a spam communication.Prior to placing the call, the initiating party deposits a small amountof money into the receiving party's account. If the receiving partydecides that the call is not spam, then the money is refunded. If it isdecided that the call is spam, then the receiving party keeps the money.In the e-mail context, deposit-contingent sending rights are describedin, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,379,972, the disclosure of which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

An improvement to the aforementioned technique is disclosed in “SIP SpamDetection,” by Rebahi, Y., Sisalem, D., and Magedanz, T. published inInternational Conference on Digital Communications, (ICDT'06) 68-68(IEEE 2006), which describes the use of a central server andimplementing financial microtransactions to reduce spam over internettelephony (SPIT). In addition, a reputation-based method is used tofurther identify unsolicited messages and calls. Another improvement asdisclosed in “SIP Vulnerabilities and Anti-SPIT Mechanisms Assessment”by Marias, G. F., Dritsas, S., Theoharidou, M., Mallios, J., andGrizalis, D., published in 2007 16th International Conference onComputer Communications and Networks 597-605 (IEEE 2007) contemplatesthe use of a central server to authenticate the sending party after amicrotransaction payment has been received by the server. Along theselines, the use of signatures and other authentication measures isdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,429,232, which is wholly incorporated byreference in its entirety herein. In general, however, the use ofnano-transactions especially in the context of preventing unsolicitedtelecommunications has been disfavored because of the lack of suitableplatforms and attendant maintenance costs.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved anti-spam systemthat addresses the underlying economic incentives for unsolicited andunwanted communications. There is also a need in the art for anano-payment system that is fee-free, have near instant settlement time,a lightweight implementation, and is scalable for use in connection withthe anti-spam system.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present disclosure contemplates the addition of a payment layer onto telecommunications architectures. An originator node interacts with acentral server to initiate a phone call to a recipient node that isregistered with the central server. If the originator node is not on thecontact list of the recipient node, then the central server acts onbehalf of the recipient to reject the incoming call by sending it tovoicemail, or otherwise rejecting the call. In order to bypass thisblind filter, the central server processes a refundable nano-transactionpayment and an identifier for the recipient node. The refundablenano-transaction payment thus serves as a deposit. Upon receivingindication that the nano-transaction payment was made, the phone call isallowed to proceed as normal, with the central server acting as atime-based escrow between the originator node and the recipient node.Once the recipient party answers the nano-transaction payment-backedcall, if the duration of the call is longer than a predefined threshold,the central server refunds the originator's payment. On the other hand,if the call lasts less than the threshold duration, the central serverkeeps the nano-transaction payment and distributes a portion to theinconvenienced recipient node. This is envisioned to create anenvironment where entities that abuse the phone network with a highvolume of calls suffer financial loss by losing the refunds from thenano-transaction payments. Bad actors with aggressive robo-dialers arethus financially punished in accordance with the embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

According to a one embodiment, there is a telecommunications system forselectively connecting originator nodes to recipient nodes. The systemmay include an account database with one or more accounts eachassociated with corresponding ones of the originator nodes and therecipient nodes. There may also be a contacts database with recipientcontact lists each associated with a specific one of the accounts of therecipient nodes. The recipient contact lists may each include one ormore known contacts. The system may also include a transaction processorthat is receptive to an incoming telecommunications initiation requestfrom one of the originator nodes to one of the recipient nodes. Thetelecommunications initiation request may include a recipient nodeidentifier and a nano-transaction payment submission defined at least bya payment amount and the transaction processor may responsively directthe establishment of the telecommunications link between the one of theoriginator nodes and the one of the recipient nodes upon receipt of thetelecommunications initiation request. This may also be based on anevaluation of the one of the originator nodes being absent from therecipient contact list in the account associated with the one of therecipient nodes. The nano-transaction payment submission may be settledbased at least in part upon an active duration of the telecommunicationslink.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure may be a method forselectively connecting an originator node to a recipient node over atelecommunications link. The method may include receiving an incomingtelecommunications initiation request on a central server. Thetelecommunications initiation request may include a recipient nodeidentifier and a nano-transaction payment submission defined at least bya payment amount and there may also be a step of storing thenano-transaction payment submission in a processor ledger on the centralserver. Furthermore, there may be a step of directing the establishmentof the telecommunications link from the originator node to the recipientnode upon storing the nano-transaction payment submission. Then, theremay be a step of initiating a connection timer once thetelecommunications link between the originator node and the recipientnode is established. The method may also include settling thenano-transaction payment submission based upon an evaluation of aconnection duration as measured by the connection timer from theestablishment of the telecommunications link between the originator nodeand the recipient node. This method may also be embodied as one or moreprograms of instruction executable by the central server and stored in anon-transitory program storage medium readable by the same.

Prior to the instant teachings, use of “spam” or Anti-Spam was subjectto limitations which the systems and methods of the present disclosurehave overcome. The present disclosure will be best understoodaccompanying by reference to the following detailed description whenread in conjunction with the drawings. Skilled artisans will appreciatethat features in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity.Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessaryin a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order tofacilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the various embodimentsdisclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the followingdescription and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like partsthroughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary telecommunicationsenvironment in which various embodiments of the present disclosure maybe implemented;

FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of one embodiment of atelecommunications system for selectively connecting originator nodes torecipient nodes;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the data sets associated with a centralserver, an originator node, and a recipient node in accordance with theembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are flowcharts of one contemplated method forselectively connecting a call with a time-based refundablenano-transaction system;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method for selectively connecting anoriginator node to a recipient node according to one embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIGS. 6A and 6B are block diagrams illustrating the movement of funds inaccordance with the processes of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating common scenarios and outcomes in whichan unknown originator node attempts to establish a telecommunicationslink with a recipient node;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the time-based refundablenano-transaction system and the interrelationship between the centralserver and the telecommunications architecture; and

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the use of multiple wallets to servicemultiple originator and recipient nodes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appendeddrawings is intended as a description of the several presentlycontemplated embodiments of systems and methods for reducing unsolicitedreal-time communications (spam). It is not intended to represent theonly form in which such embodiments may be developed or utilized. Thedescription sets forth the functions and features in connection with theillustrated embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that the sameor equivalent functions may be accomplished by different embodimentsthat are also intended to be encompassed within the scope of the presentdisclosure. It is further understood that the use of relational termssuch as first and second and the like are used solely to distinguish onefrom another entity without necessarily requiring or implying any actualsuch relationship or order between such entities.

The present disclosure contemplates the adding of a payment layer on totelecommunications architectures in order to discourage and limit abuse.With reference to the block diagram of FIG. 1, one suchtelecommunications architecture is a public switched telephone network10. By way of example, a mobile device 12 owned and used by a first user14 a may be part of the network 10, along with an auto-dialing telephonebank 16 comprised of multiple telephone devices 16 a, 16 b owned andoperated by an organization 14 b to reach as many people as possible.Although telemarketing is used by legitimate enterprises to for leadgeneration, sales, polling, and so forth, it is also used by criminalsto conduct fraudulent activities and scams. The organization 14 b maytherefore be either and are referenced broadly and interchangeablybecause unsolicited calls therefrom are generally unwanted. The methodsand systems of the present disclosure are envisioned to reduce theincidence of these types of phone calls.

In further detail, the mobile device 12 may be a smartphone that fills avariety of roles in addition to voice communications, including textcommunications (Short Message Service, e-mail, Internet-based instantmessaging, etc.), calendaring, task lists, along with typicalInternet-based functionality such as web browsing, online shopping andbanking, and social networking. With the integration of additionalhardware components, the mobile device 12 may be used for photography,navigation and mapping, and cashless payments with point-of saleterminals, and so on. Smartphones have seen widespread adoption in partdue to the convenient accessibility of these functions and more from asingle portable device that can always be within reach of the user. Atits foundation, however, the smartphone is still a phone, and its usercan and are frequently interrupted by incoming phone calls.

The mobile device 12 includes a general-purpose data processor thatexecutes pre-programmed instructions, along with wireless communicationmodules by which data is transmitted and received. The processor furthercooperates with multiple input/output devices, including combinationtouch input display screens, audio components such as speakers,microphones, and related integrated circuits, Global Positioning Systemreceivers, and physical buttons/input modalities. More recent devicesalso include accelerometers and compasses that can sense motion anddirection. For portability purposes, all of these components are poweredby an on-board battery. Management of these hardware components isperformed by a mobile operating system, also referenced in the art as amobile platform. The mobile operating system provides severalfundamental software modules and a common input/output interface thatcan be used by separate first party as well as third party applicationsvia application programming interfaces.

Several distance and speed-dependent communication protocols may beimplemented on the mobile device 12. These include high speed local areanetworking modalities such as WiFi, as well as close rangedevice-to-device data communication modalities such as Bluetooth.Additionally, there may be longer range cellular network modalities suchas GSM (Global System for Mobile communications), 4G LTE (Long TermEvolution), EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution), UMTS(Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), and so forth, which areused to establish a wireless communications link 18 to a cellularnetwork 20. The network 10 may include other network segmentsimplemented with different technologies to connect other devices, butthese are generally referred to as a telecommunications infrastructure22.

More particularly with regard to the telephone bank 16 and the telephonedevices 16 a, 16 b, there are likewise a variety of modalities forconnecting the same to the telecommunications infrastructure 22 thatultimately links to the call recipient, e.g., the user 14 a and themobile device 12 used thereby. One modality is a conventional wiredswitched telephone network 24. Increasingly common are Voice Over IP(VoIP) modalities, which utilize the Internet to carry datacorresponding to the audio of the phone call. There may be a VoIP system26 that is connected to the telecommunications infrastructure 22. Thetelephone bank 16 may include one or more computer systems thatsequentially dial telephone numbers in an effort to reach someone, e.g.,the user 14 a. The request to initiate the call may be made to theservice provider of the VoIP system 26, which routes the request throughthe telecommunications infrastructure 22, then to the cellular network20, and to the mobile device 12. The user 14 a is alerted of theincoming call, and the connection is established upon accepting the sameby some action. Upon a call connection being established, the telephonebank 16 may transfer the line to a live operator. A similar process isunderstood to be employed when utilizing the conventional wired switchedtelephone network 24. The illustration of the conventional wiredswitched telephone network 24 and the VoIP system 26 is presented by ofexample only and not by limitation, and other network communicationsmodalities may be readily substituted without departing from the presentdisclosure.

Although the public switched telephone network 10 has been described andthe system 11 for reducing unsolicited communications is described inthe context thereof, this is understood to be by way of example only.The system may be adapted to other real-time communications systems thatmay be subject to abuse by telemarketers or fraudsters and burden itsusers with unsolicited and unwanted communication requests. Stillreferring to the block diagram of FIG. 1, the system may be embodied ina central server 28 that is either a part of the telecommunicationsinfrastructure 22, or at least cooperates with the telecommunicationsinfrastructure 22 to reduce the financial incentive for the organization14 b to continue its abusive practices in mass-dialing the user 14 a andothers. One contemplated way this may be achieved is a nano-transactionpayment platform that requires the organization 14 b to deposit fundsinto an account associated with the user 14 a prior to establishing thecall. The present disclosure refers to nano-transactions, though thismay be interchangeable with the more common term of microtransactions.

Additional details of one possible embodiment of the central server 28are shown in the block diagram of FIG. 2. It is understood that thecentral server 28 can be one or more standalone computer systems withgeneral purpose data processors, memory, input/output modalities, andsecondary storage. A processor may be provided by one or more processorsincluding, for example, one or more of a single core or multi-coreprocessor (e.g., AMD Phenom II X2, Intel Core Duo, AMD Phenom II X4,Intel Core i5, Intel Core I & Extreme Edition 980X, or Intel XeonE7-2820). An I/O modality may include a video display unit (e.g., aliquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), analphanumeric input device (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device(e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit, a signal generation device (e.g., aspeaker), an accelerometer, a microphone, a cellular radio frequencyantenna, and a network interface device (e.g., a network interface card(NIC), Wi-Fi card, cellular modem, data jack, Ethernet port, modem jack,HDMI port, mini-HDMI port, USB port), touchscreen (e.g., CRT, LCD, LED,AMOLED, Super AMOLED), pointing device, trackpad, light (e.g., LED),light/image projection device, or a combination thereof. Memory refersto a non-transitory memory which is provided by one or more tangibledevices which preferably include one or more machine-readable medium onwhich is stored one or more sets of instructions (e.g., software)embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions describedherein. The software may also reside, completely or at least partially,within the main memory, processor, or both during execution thereof by acomputer within system, the main memory and the processor alsoconstituting machine-readable media. The software may further betransmitted or received over a network via the network interface device.

While the machine-readable medium can in an exemplary embodiment be asingle medium, the term “machine-readable medium” should be taken toinclude a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized ordistributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that storethe one or more sets of instructions. The term “machine-readable medium”shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing,encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by the machineand that cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethodologies of the present disclosure. Memory may be, for example, oneor more of a hard disk drive, solid state drive (SSD), an optical disc,flash memory, zip disk, tape drive, “cloud” storage location, or acombination thereof. In certain embodiments, a device of the presentdisclosure includes a tangible, non-transitory computer readable mediumfor memory. Exemplary devices for use as memory include semiconductormemory devices, (e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, solid state drive (SSD), and flashmemory devices e.g., SD, micro SD, SDXC, SDIO, SDHC cards); magneticdisks, (e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks); and optical disks(e.g., CD and DVD disks).

Generally, the organization 14 b and the telephones 16 that originatesthe telephone calls may be referred to as an originator node 30, whilethe user 14 a and the mobile device 12 may be referred to as a recipientnode 32. The central server 28 is understood to serve as a blind filterand an intermediary between the originator node 30 and the recipientnode 32, so that only those calls initiated by the originator node 30that the recipient node 32 wanted to take are connected withoutconsequence to the originator node 30. To the extent the placed call isnot wanted by the recipient node 32, it is assured of at least a deminimis compensation as an incentive to accept the call, while theoriginator node 30 is disincentivized to not make calls that are likelyto have a direct per-call associated cost.

The central server 28 does not attempt to discern what is an unsolicitedcall (e.g., spam) versus what is not. Again, acting as a blind filter,all incoming communications from unknown originator nodes 30 is refusedunless that communications is accompanied by a refundablenano-transaction that is payable to the recipient node 32. The centralserver 28 may include a transaction processor 34 that handles theplacing and refusing of the calls, along with the transfer ofnano-transaction payments to and from the originator node 30 and therecipient node 32.

The transaction processor 34 utilizes a variety of data sources toimplement this functionality. In one embodiment of the central server28, there may be an account database 36 that stores information abouteach of the nodes that utilize or are a part of the system 11. Referringnow to the diagram of FIG. 3, the originator node 30 has associatedtherewith an originator account 38 a, and the recipient node 32 hasassociated therewith a recipient account 38 b. These records may bestored on the account database 36. Both the originator account 38 a andthe recipient account 38 b may be referred to more generally as anaccount 38 having the same fields. In particular, there may be a fieldfor an account identifier 40 a that uniquely identifies the node withinthe system 11. There may also be a field for a telephone number 40 b,though because a full telephone number is understood to be unique in thepublic switched telephone network 10, the telephone number 40 b and theaccount identifier 40 a may be the same. Additionally, the account 38may include a name field 40 c to store the name of the owner of theaccount. Other identifying information such as the owner's address maybe stored in an address field 40 d. Though not shown,demographic/identifying information such as birthdate, gender, and so onmay also be stored in the account 38.

One of the functions of the central server 28 is to facilitatenano-transactions between different accounts of the system 11, and soeach account 38 is associated with a corresponding payment account 42.In further detail, the originator account 38 a is associated with anoriginator payment account 42 a, while the recipient account 38 b isassociated with a recipient payment account 42 b. The originator paymentaccount 42 a and the recipient payment account 42 b may be referred tomore generally as payment accounts 42.

In a preferred implementation, the payment accounts 42 may be associatedwith and maintained by an independent nano-transaction payment platform,such as a fee-less distributed cryptocurrency system. One example is theNano platform (nano.org) that employs a directed acyclic graphs modelwith a open representative voting consensus model for ledger validation.This platform is understood to have fast response times typically in therange of 1 to 5 seconds, does not require a fee for use, and capable oftransferring micro/nano-level values. One advantage of employing anexternal payment platform is that each node may control their fundsindependently of the central server 28. The use of this payment platformor other cryptocurrency platforms is by way of example only and not oflimitation, and any other payment modality capable of transferring anyamounts whether small or large may be substituted. It is also possibleto maintain a credit system within the confines of the system 11 ratherthan using an external payment platform, which may eliminate the needfor a central wallet.

A payment account field 40 e in the account record 40 may reference thespecific payment account 42 (whether internal or external), which isalso referenced with a field for a payment account identifier 46 a. Ingeneral terms, the payment account 42 is understood to also include atleast a field for a funds amount 46 b, which records amount of money orother credit that is stored therefor. The association between a givenaccount record 40 and its payment account 42 is understood to be made atthe time the user registers with the central server 28. A preferredthough optional embodiment utilizes fiat currency, e.g., United Statesdollars, though this is by way of example only and not of limitation.Any other currency, monetary system (either digital or physical),credit, token, or other asset with value may be substituted withoutdeparting from the present disclosure.

The embodiments of the present disclosure also contemplate the system11, or more specifically the central server 28, acting as a time-basedescrow between the originator node 30 and the recipient node 32. In thisregard, the central server 28 may have associated therewith an escrowaccount 48 on the payment platform similar to the payment accounts 42associated with the originator node 30 and the recipient nodes 32. Theescrow account 48 may have an escrow account identifier 50 a, along withan amount field 50 b for the amount of funds stored therein. The centralserver 28 may maintain a processor ledger 52 of all of the incoming andoutgoing payment transactions from the originator node 30 and recipientnode 32 to settle the transactions based on the defined conditionstherefor. By way of example, each entry in the ledger may have atransaction identifier 54 a, a sender identifier 54 b that identifiesthe originator node 30 that provides the nano-transaction payment, anamount 54 c, and a receiver identifier 54 d that identifies therecipient node 32 of the funds in the event of the conditions for sotransferring the payment are satisfied. This processor ledger 52 may beseparate and independent of the cryptocurrency platform ledger and maybe stored in a local financial transaction database 44.

In addition to the account 38 and the payment accounts 42, the recipientnode 32 (and in some cases, the originator node 30 may have a contactlist 56 associated therewith. The contact list 56 may be linked to thespecific account 38 with an account identifier field 56 a when stored ona contacts database 58 of the central server 28. It will be appreciatedthat a contact list as maintained on the mobile device 12, for example,is a listing of contacts 60 a-c defined by name, phone number, e-mail,physical address, and so forth, and upon being stored on the contactsdatabase 58, such contacts 60 are associated with the account 38.Referring to the block diagram of FIG. 2, this step may be performed bya contacts retriever 62, which connects to the mobile device 12, copiesover the contacts data to the contacts database 58, and generates theassociation, e.g., records the account identifier field 56 a for therecipient account 38 b. The permission to perform this action may begranted by the user at the time of registration, or some other timebefore the aforementioned blind filter of the incoming calls may beapplied.

Having considered the exemplary data structures and specific databasesfor storing the various data elements, the overall process as performedby the central server 28 together with the way in which the data is usedwill now be considered. It will be appreciated that the data structuresand segregation of data into the aforementioned databases is presentedby way of example only and not of limitation. Any other suitabledatabase structure, including the specific fields utilized, may besubstituted.

Referring to the flowchart of FIG. 4A, the process begins with a step1000 of receiving a call from the originator node 30. In a decisionblock 1002, it is determined whether the calling originator node 30 isin the contact list 56 of the designated recipient node 32. Withadditional reference to the block diagram of FIG. 2, this evaluation maybe performed by the transaction processor 34. The call may be initiatedby an automated dialer computer system 64, which has a listing 66 oftelephone numbers to dial. In addition to sequentially dialing thedesignated telephone numbers and connecting the operators of thetelephone bank 16, the automated dialer computer system 64 directs anunlocker 68 to communicate certain information to an unlock interface 70of the central server 28. Specifically, the unlocker 68 transmits anidentification of the intended recipient for a nano-transaction paymentin the form of the account identifier 40 a of the recipient account 38 bor the payment account identifier 46 a of the recipient payment account42 b together with a payment amount 72. This submission may be referredto as a refundable nano-transaction payment submission 74. Though notshown, an identification of the originator may also be part of therefundable nano-transaction payment submission, including the accountidentifier 40 a of the originator account 38 a or the payment accountidentifier 46 a of the originator payment account 42 a.

If the originator node 30 is, indeed in the contact list 56, then thecall is allowed to proceed normally in accordance with a step 1004.Otherwise, the process continues to a decision block 1010 to determinewhether the originator node 30 has sent a refundable nano-transactionpayment submission 74 to the central server 28. In one exemplaryembodiment, the amount for each communications request is $0.05, thoughthis can be modified. Furthermore, the amount may be dynamicallyadjusted based on certain background conditions such as time of day,season, day of week, weather, and so on, when it is more or less likelythat the call with be received favorably. Moreover, the amount may bepre-negotiated between the originator node 30 and the recipient node 32,or negotiated contemporaneously with the initiation of the call. Theaccount 38 may be used to store information pertaining to the interestsof the user 14, and a higher amount may be demanded because of theimproved targeting of potential customers for the telemarketingcampaign. For example, if the user 14 a indicates that he/she enjoysfootball, then an organization 14 b marketing products targeted to afootball fan may be willing to pay a higher deposit for the opportunityto market to such individual. The transaction processor 34 is understoodto reject all incoming communications for originator nodes 30 with anunknown telephone number or associated with an unknown account, that is,not in the contact list 56. The refundable nano-transaction paymentsubmission therefore serves as a bypass to this blind filter.

The contact list 56 is the basis of the first screening of the incomingcalls and is thus a type of whitelist. The whitelist can be extendedglobally, or individual contact lists 56 may import global whitelists ofnumbers that are associated with emergency services or otherhigh-priority services that would be important to be immediatelyconnected without nano-payment transactions and the like.

If in the decision block 1010 it is evaluated that the refundablenano-transaction payment submission 74 has not been made, the call issent to voicemail according to a step 1012. In one embodiment, thesystem 11 may be implemented at the telecommunications network level sothe transaction processor 34 may directly connect the incoming telephonecall to the mobile device 12 or reject the call and pass the same tovoicemail. The user 14 a need not receive any indication of theattempted call.

The transaction processor 34 may interface with a telecommunicationsswitch 76 to handle the incoming call and route the same to thedestination node as directed. The telecommunications switch 76 mayinclude an incoming call interface 78 that connects to, for example, theauto-dialing telephone bank 16, as well as an outgoing call interface 80that connects to the mobile device 12. Generally, the telecommunicationsswitch 76 is understood to establish and disconnect thetelecommunications link between the originator node 30 and the recipientnode 32. Those having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that thetelecommunications switch 76 may be implemented in a variety ofdifferent ways, and this disclosure will omit descriptions thereof forthe sake of brevity.

The telecommunications switch 76 may report to the transaction processor34 that there is an incoming call, and this may constitute an incomingtelecommunications initiation request. In other embodiments, theincoming telecommunications initiation request may be generated by theautomated dialer computer system 64 to the unlocker 68 for transmissionto the unlock interface 70 in conjunction with the refundablenano-transaction payment submission 74.

Next, in a decision block 1014, it is evaluated whether the recipientnode 32 was answered. If the call was not answered, the nano-transactionpayment is refunded to the originator node 30. With the call inprogress, the embodiments of the present disclosure contemplate theinitiation of a timer 82 that may cooperate with the aforementionedoutgoing call interface 80. The timer 82 is stopped when the call withthe recipient node 32 is terminated. In a decision block 1030, theduration of the call as measured by the timer 82 is recorded. If thecall duration was longer than a predefined threshold, the call is deemedlegitimate and the nano-transaction payment is refunded to theoriginator node 30 per step 1022 discussed above. Otherwise, the call isdeemed spam, and the nano-transaction payment is distributed to therecipient node 32 in a step 1032. In some embodiments, a part of thepayment may also be distributed to the payment account 42 of the centralserver 28 for maintenance and other costs. According to oneimplementation, the predefined threshold may be twenty-five (25)seconds, though this is by way of example only and not of limitation.

As described above, if the originator 30 node is in the contact list ofthe recipient node 32 as evaluated in the decision block 1002, the callmay be routed normally in accordance with step 1004. There may be afurther alternative to such call routing in circumstances where therecipient node 32 opts in to receiving telemarketing calls that may beof interest. The account 38 of the user 14 a may be used to store theopt-in status, along with the psychographics as noted. In exchange forreceiving such a call, or for the recipient node 32 to remain engaged onthe call for a predetermined duration, he or she may be offered cash,coupons, or other incentives.

With reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4B, the method may continue witha decision block 1400, in which it is determined whether the originatornode 30 is flagged as an entity with which the recipient note 32 hasopted in. This evaluation may take place concurrently with theaforementioned decision block 1002 of determining if the originator node30 is in the contact list of the recipient node 32. In this regard, thecontact list 56 may include a separate field for the opt-in status, orthere may be a separate opt-in list. If the recipient node 32 has notopted in, the call is transferred to voicemail in accordance with a step1402. If the recipient node 32 has opted in, then the method proceeds toa decision block 1410 to evaluate whether the call was answered. Ifthere is no answer, then no incentives are lost or exchanged accordingto a step 1412.

If there is an answer, the originator node 30 provides the recipientnode 32 an incentive per step 1414. The amount of the incentive may bevaried depending on the duration of the call, completion of a task, andso forth. For example, the recipient node 32 may be paid a predeterminedamount per minute spent engaging with the originator node 30, and/or apredetermined amount after making a purchase, completing a survey,providing customer feedback, assisting in market research, etc. This isenvisioned to allow entities 14 b to target users 14 a more effectively,and the users 14 b may receive benefits to the extent the entities valuesuch targeted engagement.

The flowchart of FIG. 5 provides a more generalized method forselectively connecting the originator node 30 to the recipient node 32over the telecommunications link. The method begins with a step 2000 ofreceiving an incoming telecommunications initiation request, which isunderstood to include the placement of the call as well as therefundable nano-transaction payment submission 74. Again, as describedabove, the refundable nano-transaction payment submission 74 is definedby at least the account identifier 40 a or the payment accountidentifier 46 a of the recipient node 32, though in some embodiments theaccount identifier 40 a or the payment account identifier 46 a of theoriginator node 30 may also be included. In embodiments where, by virtueof making the telecommunications initiation request the originator node30 is identified, such account information need not be included in therefundable nano-transaction payment submission 74.

Thereafter, in a step 2010, the refundable nano-transaction paymentsubmission 74 is stored in the processor ledger 52. In addition toconfirming the nano-transaction payment, there may be a step 2005 ofidentifying the originator node 30 in the recipient contact list 56.Prior to this evaluation, the method also contemplates a step 2004 ofretrieving the recipient contact list 56 from the recipient node 32 asindicated above. Once the nano-payment has been confirmed, the methodcontinues with a step 2020 of directing the establishment of thetelecommunications link. This may involve the transaction processor 34commanding the telecommunications switch 76 to connect the incoming callfrom the originator node 30 to the recipient node 32. The call may thenbe answered, at which point a connection timer is initiated according toa step 2030. Once the call is complete, the nano-transaction paymentsubmission is settled in a step 2040. The user 14 a also has the optionto reject the call in response to the mobile device 12 generating analert regarding the same (e.g., activating the ringer, and displayingthe caller ID). As will be recognized by those having ordinary skill inthe art, the call handler system of the mobile device 12 may present abutton, a sliding switch, or other user interface element to accept orreject the incoming call. When the call is rejected, the method proceedsalong the same lines as though the call was not answered, though this isby way of example only and not of limitation. To further discourageabusive calls, however, in some embodiments it is possible to not refundthe entirety of the deposit and retain some portion thereof as a penaltyfor the brief interruption to the user 14 a.

As referenced herein, settling the nano-transaction payment isunderstood to be the movement of funds from the originator paymentaccount 42 a to the recipient payment account 42 b or the escrow account48, as well as back to the originator payment account 42 a under certainconditions. The embodiments of the present disclosure contemplate theuse of a cryptocurrency payment platform to implement thesetransactions. Accordingly, settlement may involve the transactionprocessor 34 submitting the transfer transaction to a distributed ledgerof such cryptocurrency payment platform, with the payer and payeeaccount information being tied to the corresponding accounts 38 asmaintained on the central server 28.

Although the method describes the settlement taking place as the laststep, it is understood that some transactions, for example, the initialnano-transaction payment from the originating node the escrow account48, the submission to the payment platform distributed ledger may takeplace at the time it is transmitted from the originator node 30 to thecentral server 28. The processor ledger 52 referenced above and asmaintained in the local financial transaction database 44 is understoodto be separate from the distributed ledger of the payment platform incertain embodiments and so settlement in this context may refer to thefinal settlement of payments to the payment accounts of the originatornode 30, the recipient node 32, and/or the central server 28.

The block diagram of FIG. 6A illustrates the movement of funds within apayment platform 84 when a call is made from the originator node 30 tothe recipient node 32. The diagram depicts the originator paymentaccount 42 a, a central server or escrow account 48, and the recipientpayment account 42 b. In order to get past the blind filter where allcallers other than those known the recipient node 32 are blocked or sentto voicemail, the originator node 30 makes a refundable nano-transactionpayment submission 74. These funds may then be refunded back to theoriginator payment account 42 a when the call is sent to voicemail orotherwise goes unanswered, or when the recipient node 32 answers thecall and the duration thereof is greater than a threshold, e.g.,twenty-five seconds. It will be appreciated that these refund situationsare by way of example only and not of limitation, and there may be othercircumstances in which a refund is issued after the refundablenano-transaction payment submission 74.

The block diagram of FIG. 6B illustrates another movement of fundswithin the payment platform 84 when a call is made from the originatornode 30 to the recipient node 32. This diagram likewise depicts theoriginator payment account 42 a, the central server or escrow account48, and the recipient payment account 42 b. Again, in order to get pastthe blind filter where all callers other than those known the recipientnode 32 are blocked or sent to voicemail, the originator node 30 makes arefundable nano-transaction payment submission 74. However, the call isanswered, and its duration is less than the threshold. This is deemed tobe a spam call, and the originator node 30 is penalized by having toforfeit the nano-transaction payment. These funds are insteadtransferred to the recipient payment account 42 b because the recipientnode 32 was burdened with having to answer an unwanted call. A portionof these funds may also be retained in the escrow account 48. The splitbetween the recipient payment account 42 b and the escrow account 48 maybe 80%/20%, though this is for illustrative purposes only, and any othersplit may be implemented.

In some instances, the telecommunications initiation request may berejected outright before a call is allowed to be placed to the recipientnode 32. FIG. 7 illustrates the different possible requests that may begenerated from the originator node 30, depicted as data packets 86 a-c,and whether, upon processing by the central server 28, leads to anaccepted communication 88 or a rejected communication 90. In otherwords, the different data packets 86 depend on whether the blind filtercan be bypassed or not in order to move on to the next part of theprocess. The first data packet 86 a is where a refundablenano-transaction payment submission 74, as well as the recipientidentifier, e.g. the recipient payment account 42 b, is specified. Whenboth data elements are provided, the call is placed and hence there isan accepted communication 88. If the unknown originator node 30 providesa second packet 86 b in which the refundable nano-transaction paymentsubmission 74 is missing, but the recipient identifier is provided,while the call may be allowed to be placed, the call will be eventuallyrejected, that is, some period of time following the call being placedand within a typical timespan for the user to see and interact with themobile device 12 to reject the call. Thus, there may be a rejectedcommunication 90. Likewise, if the unknown originator node 30 provides athird packet 86 c in which the refundable nano-transaction paymentsubmission 74 is provided but the recipient identifier is not, the callmay be placed, but there is still a rejected communication 90. Therejection can take place at either the telecommunications network levelas described above, or on at the recipient node 32 on behalf of thereceiving party.

In the various embodiments of the present disclosure, the central server28 can be integrated with the telecommunications infrastructure 22. Thatis, the originator node 30 initiates the telephone call and provides thetelecommunications initiation request to the central server 28, in whichthe recipient payment account 42 b or the recipient payment account 42 bor the recipient account 38 b together with the refundablenano-transaction payment submission 74 was transmitted to thetransaction processor 34. It is also possible for the central server 28to operate independently of the telecommunications infrastructure, asshown in the block diagram of FIG. 8. Prior to initiating a phone call92, the originator node 30 sends a data packet 94 to the central server28 for processing. The data packet 94, which is understood to generallycorrespond to the aforementioned telecommunications initiation request,includes the refundable nano-transaction payment submission 74 and therecipient identifier, e.g., the recipient payment account 42 b. Uponvalidating the data packet 94, another data packet 96 can be transmittedto the specified recipient. The data packet 96 may include aninstruction to the recipient node 32 to accept the next incoming call. Abrief delay may be imposed on the originator node 30 for theseprocessing steps to be completed, so that when phone call placedindependently through the telecommunications infrastructure 22, therecipient node 32 automatically, or without further user intervention,allows the call to be accepted.

The recipient node 32 may interact with the central server via mobiledevice apps, as described in the embodiment above. In addition, theoriginator node 30 as well as the recipient node 32 may interact withthe central server via telecommunications networks, within devicearchitectures, via desktop applications, and internet-enabledapplications generally.

In some of the implementations, the recipient node 32 may validate theincoming caller so that the phone call is matched to the correctoriginator node 30 that provided the nano-transaction payment. Such avariant may be problematic for those originator nodes 30 that wish toremain anonymous, uses call forwarding or virtual numbers. Onealternative could be the use of multiple originator node identifiers foreach of the possible numbers from which the call could be originating.Instead, one action may be taken to “unlock” the recipient node 32 inaccordance with the present disclosure, that is, provide anano-transaction payment, while in another independent action, the callis placed. This may be referred to as a pinball payment, where thepayment is made, then the next incoming call is assumed to be from thepaying originator node 30. The pinball payment may also be utilized topay ahead for a secondary originator node, whereupon the recipient node32 is unlocked for the next inbound call.

The pinball payment method may be subject to abuse if the central server28 performs no further validation, where a man-in-the-middle type attackcould be used to observe activities on the payment account 42 of therecipient node 32 and knows the phone number associated therewith. Thus,a malicious third party could wait for a legitimate originator node 30to initiate a nano-transaction and a telecommunications initiationrequest to the recipient node 32. Upon detection, the malicious thirdparty can immediately call the recipient node 32 in an attempt tofraudulently use the nano-transaction payment for itself. It istherefore preferred, though optional to employ the central server 28 assuch type of attacks could be prevented by delaying the public broadcastof the nano-transactions to the recipient node 32 until after thetelephone call has been completed.

Referring to the diagram of FIG. 9, the payment platform 84 may employmultiple wallets for the originator payment accounts, the recipientpayment accounts, and the escrow accounts of the central server 28. Forexample, a first escrow account wallet 98 may be utilized fornano-transaction payments from a set of three wallets 100 a-100 c fordifferent originator payment accounts, and a set of three wallets 102a-102 c for different recipient payment accounts. This arrangement maybe applicable to other multiples of wallets for the originator node 30,the recipient node 32, and the central server 28. This configuration iscontemplated to provide a layer of privacy between the originator nodes30 and the recipient nodes 32, as both will only see transactions fromthe central server 28 and each is obfuscated from the other. There isalso the added benefit of a third-party attacker likewise being unableto see any transactions into the payment accounts of the recipient nodes32 until after the originator node 30 has completed the communicationwith the recipient node 32.

As indicated above, embodiments of the present disclosure are notlimited to those employing an outside payment platform. The process ofdeducting and crediting accounts with currency or other form of creditmay be implemented on the central server 28. In such embodiments, acentral wallet may be used, but is not required. Still further, otherembodiments may involve the user directly controlling available funds,in which case an intermediary wallet (e.g., the escrow account 48) maynot be needed. Alternatively, several intermediary wallets may beutilized as between the originator node 30 and the recipient node 32.

The system 11 as described above is intended to reduce the volume ofunsolicited calls and other real-time telecommunications modalities.Over time, as the presently disclosed system is implemented across moreend-user devices, abusive callers and other bad actors will be ignoredbecause they typically do not self-identify and are not listed in thecontact list 56 of the recipient nodes 32. In order to continue theirabuse of telecommunications systems, bad actors may eventually be forcedto comply or act in accordance with the restrictions imposed by thesystem 11. Then, the higher the volume of unwanted calls are made, thehigher nano-transaction losses such bad actors would be forced toabsorb. Any improper profits gained through a high-volume telemarketingcampaign would be quickly diminished because of such losses. Thus, thepresent disclosure is contemplated to address the underlying economicincentives and disincentives for continuing to abuse telecommunicationssystems.

While several embodiments of the present disclosure have been describedand illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readilyenvision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing thefunctions and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of theadvantages described herein, and each of such variations and/ormodifications is deemed to be within the scope of the presentdisclosure. More generally, those skilled in the art will readilyappreciate that all parameters and configurations described herein aremeant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters and/orconfigurations will depend upon the specific application or applicationsfor which the teachings of the present disclosure is/are used.

Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain usingno more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specificembodiments of the disclosure described herein. It is, therefore, to beunderstood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way ofexample only and that, within the scope of the appended claims andequivalents thereto, the disclosure may be practiced otherwise than asspecifically described and claimed. The present disclosure is directedto each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/ormethod described herein. In addition, any combination of two or moresuch features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, ifsuch features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods arenot mutually inconsistent, is included within the scope of the presentdisclosure.

All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood tocontrol over dictionary definitions, definitions in documentsincorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the definedterms.

The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in thespecification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to thecontrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.” The phrase“and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, shouldbe understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined,i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases anddisjunctively present in other cases. Other elements may optionally bepresent other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or”clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specificallyidentified, unless clearly indicated to the contrary.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “anembodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic described in connection with the embodiment is includedin at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in oneembodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout thisspecification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics maybe combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In theforegoing description, numerous specific details have been provided toprovide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the presentdisclosure. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however,that the disclosures may be practiced without one or more of thespecific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and soforth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, oroperations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuringaspects of the present disclosure.

The terms and expressions which have been employed herein are used asterms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention,in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalentsof the features shown and described (or portions thereof), and it isrecognized that various modifications are possible within the scope ofthe claims. Accordingly, the claims are intended to cover all suchequivalents.

The schematic flow chart diagrams included herein are generally setforth as logical flow chart diagrams. As such, the depicted order andlabeled steps are indicative of one embodiment of the presented method.Other steps and methods may be conceived that are equivalent infunction, logic, or effect to one or more steps, or portions thereof, ofthe illustrated method. Additionally, the format and symbols employedare provided to explain the logical steps of the method and areunderstood not to limit the scope of the method. Although various arrowtypes and line types may be employed in the flow chart diagrams, theyare understood not to limit the scope of the corresponding method.Indeed, some arrows or other connectors may be used to indicate only thelogical flow of the method. For instance, an arrow may indicate awaiting or monitoring period of unspecified duration between enumeratedsteps of the depicted method. Additionally, the order in which aparticular method occurs may or may not strictly adhere to the order ofthe corresponding steps shown.

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of time,money and the like used in the specification and claims are to beunderstood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.”Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parametersset forth in the specification and attached claims are approximationsthat may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to beobtained by the present disclosure. At the very least, and not as anattempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to thescope of the claims, each numerical parameter should at least beconstrued in light of the number of reported significant digits and byapplying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that thenumerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of thepresent disclosure are approximations, the numerical values set forth inthe specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Anynumerical value, however, inherently contains certain errors necessarilyresulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testingmeasurements.

Recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as ashorthand method of referring individually to each separate valuefalling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, eachindividual value is incorporated into the specification as if it wereindividually recited herein. All methods described herein can beperformed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein orotherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and allexamples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein isintended merely to better illuminate the features of the presentdisclosure and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the presentdisclosure otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should beconstrued as indicating any non-claimed element essential to thepractice of the present disclosure.

Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the presentdisclosure are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member maybe referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with othermembers of the group or other elements found herein. It is anticipatedthat one or more members of a group may be included in, or deleted from,a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any suchinclusion or deletion occurs, the specification is deemed to contain thegroup as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all Markushgroups used in the appended claims.

Certain embodiments are described herein, including the best mode knownto the inventors for carrying out the present disclosure. Of course,variations on these described embodiments will become apparent to thoseof ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. Itis expected that skilled artisans will employ such variations asappropriate, and the it is intended for the present disclosure to bepracticed otherwise than specifically described herein. Accordingly, thedisclosure includes all modifications and equivalents of the subjectmatter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicablelaw. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in allpossible variations thereof is encompassed by the present disclosureunless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted bycontext.

Several references have been made to patents and printed publicationsthroughout this specification. Each of the above-cited references andprinted publications are individually incorporated herein by referencein their entirety.

It is to be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein areillustrative of the principles of the invention. Other modificationsthat may be employed are within the scope of the present disclosure.Thus, by way of example, but not of limitation, alternativeconfigurations of the present disclosure may be utilized in accordancewith the teachings herein. Accordingly, the present disclosure is notlimited to that precisely as shown and described.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for connecting an originator node to arecipient node over a telecommunications link, the method comprising:receiving an incoming telecommunications initiation request including arecipient node identifier and a refundable nano-transaction paymentsubmission initiated through a nano-transaction payment platform;directing the establishment of the telecommunications link from theoriginator node to the recipient node based upon an inclusion of theoriginator node in a recipient opt-in list; and evaluating a legitimacyor illegitimacy of the telecommunications initiation request as apayment condition; settling the refundable nano-transaction paymentsubmission by either completing the refundable nano-transaction paymentto the recipient node or refunding the refundable nano-transactionpayment back to the originator node on the nano-transaction paymentplatform based at least in part upon the payment condition beingdetermined without additional user intervention on either the originatornode or the recipient node.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein thepayment condition is a duration of the telecommunications link.
 3. Themethod of claim 2, wherein the legitimacy of the telecommunicationsinitiation request is based at least in part upon the duration of thetelecommunications link exceeding a threshold.
 4. The method of claim 2,wherein the illegitimacy of the telecommunications initiation request isbased at least in part upon the duration of the telecommunications linkbeing below a threshold.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the paymentcondition is a completion of an action by a user of the recipient node.6. The method of claim 5, wherein the action by the user of therecipient node is rejecting the telecommunications initiation requestwith predefined input to the recipient node.
 7. The method of claim 1,wherein the incoming telecommunications initiation request is receivedon a central server.
 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:storing the refundable nano-transaction payment submission in a ledgeron the central server.
 9. A method for selectively connecting anoriginator node to a recipient node over a telecommunications link, themethod comprising: receiving an incoming telecommunications initiationrequest including a recipient node identifier and a refundablenano-transaction payment submission initiated through a nano-transactionpayment platform; directing the establishment of the telecommunicationslink from the originator node to the recipient node upon receipt of therefundable nano-transaction payment submission; initiating a connectiontimer once the telecommunications link between the originator node andthe recipient node is established; evaluating a legitimacy orillegitimacy of the telecommunications initiation request based at leastin part upon a connection duration as measured by the connection timerand without additional user intervention on either the originator nodeor the recipient node; and settling the refundable nano-transactionpayment by either completing the refundable nano-transaction payment tothe recipient node or refunding the refundable nano-transaction paymentback to the originator node on the nano-transaction payment platformbased upon the evaluated legitimacy or illegitimacy of thetelecommunications link initiation request.
 10. The method of claim 9,further comprising: storing the refundable nano-transaction paymentsubmission in a ledger.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein settling therefundable nano-transaction payment submission includes transferring atleast a first portion of payment from the ledger to a recipient paymentaccount corresponding to the recipient node identifier when thetelecommunications link initiation request is evaluated as illegitimate.12. The method of claim 11, wherein the connection duration is below apredefined threshold.
 13. The method of claim 10, wherein settling therefundable nano-transaction payment submission further includestransferring at least a second portion of payment from the ledger to anescrow payment account.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein settling therefundable nano-transaction payment submission includes returning theentirety of payment from the ledger to an originator payment accountwhen the telecommunications link initiation request is evaluated aslegitimate.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the connection durationis above a predefined threshold.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein theoriginator payment account is independent of the originator node, anddirecting the establishment of the telecommunications link includescommanding the recipient node to accept a subsequent incoming requestfrom the originator node to establish the telecommunications linktherewith.
 17. The method of claim 10, further comprising identifyingthe originator node in a recipient contact list, the storing of therefundable nano-transaction payment submission in the ledger beingconditioned on an absence of the originator node in the recipientcontact list.
 18. The method of claim 10, further comprising retrievingthe recipient contact list from the recipient node prior to receivingthe incoming telecommunications initiation request.
 19. The method ofclaim 9, wherein directing the establishment of the telecommunicationslink includes relaying the incoming telecommunications initiationrequest to the recipient node.
 20. The method of claim 9 whereindirecting the establishment of the telecommunications link includescommanding a telecommunications switch to connect the originator node tothe recipient node.